It's a Slippery Slope in the Slither Pit
by LightofTheFallen
Summary: Kai is angry at the world and mostly at himself. He blames himself for Zane's death. The team split up so he has no support system. There's no telling the bad decisions the impulsive red ninja can make. This story takes place between Rebooted and Tournament of Elements during the aftermath of Zane's Sacrifice. This is the story of bad decisions Kai makes as grieves.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note:** This takes place during the three months between Rebooted and Tournament of Elements. According to Tommy Andreasen's twitter, Kai is two years older than Nya. In season 7 (Hands of Time) episode one, Kai says that Nya was 3 shortly before their parents disappeared.

Those so-called nindroids ruined what it meant to be a real nindroid. Those fakers spit on his memory. The Overlord should have stayed on his island.

Kai's fire burned with anger. Anger at everyone and everything that led to one of his brother's deaths. He had to keep his fire burning or he will remember the cold he felt when Zane's snow blanketed the city.

Everyone split up. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Kai felt like he did enough grieving in his life already. He was five when his parents vanished leaving him alone to take care of his sister and their shop. He has needed to be strong for his sister when he couldn't even take care of himself. He learned early on that the world did not care about him. Kai worked hard to make sure Nya didn't learn the same lesson. When he joined the team, he didn't want to get close to them. He knows that everyone who comes too close to his fire gets burnt. But he did get close to them and Zane died because of it.

If only he had been stronger. If only he could have challenged the Overlord himself. If only he hadn't helped Zane bounce along the vines of golden power.

After the team split up, he moved around with a few odd jobs here and there. Eventually, he was led to Yang's Tavern for a fight with an old co-worker. The Tavern was tucked away in a seedy part of Ninjago City. The entrance is partly hidden since the dealings that go on are a little on the left side of the law. It was actually quite spacious, if you didn't count all the people.

The red lanterns created a darker atmosphere. Everything is tinted with a red haze, making the place seem far away from his problems. His own type of sanctuary. There was a decently sized bar off to the right with a guy who looked like he was a permanent fixture. At least, he was always there when Kai was there. There was a large, circular slither pit taking up most of the space on the left side. Tables separated the two walls. An upper section surrounded the pit allowing patrons to view the fight from above. They didn't need a stage with all the excitement provided by the illegal fighting ring. This was the type of place where all the lowlives found their fun. The smell of smoke and alcohol greeted him like an old friend whenever he stepped inside.

It was only supposed to be one fight.

After knocking out his former co-worker, a haughty snake by the name of Zoltar challenged him. Kai, with the advantage of spinjitzu, defeated him as well. The crowd cheered at their swift defeats declaring Kai "The Red Shogun."

He felt the adrenaline again. He felt his anger be directed into the purpose of fighting like it was when he was a ninja. As the crowd cheered he thought that maybe it wasn't his fault. No one is mad at him. Look! They love him.

Eventually, he was shooed off the arena for the next fight and ended up at the bar. The feeling of acceptance left as swiftly as it came. The fire roared up in his chest again. Constricting around his heart until he was choking in the memories of his failures once again.

_Breathe, breathe._

He ordered a drink._ Maybe this will help douse the fire_ he thought.

_Maybe a few more will do the trick._

Kai had gotten a motel room in the northern part of the city; it was actually a few blocks away from the Tavern. The room was paid for by the week since he couldn't stand to be in Garmadon's Monastery with the rest of his family. Well, what was left of his family.

He got another drink.

He hated staying at that monastery. There was an extra bed that was never used.

And another drink.

It was too quiet. Too empty. Too hot.

He lost count of how many he had. Eventually, he stumbled out the door. _Maybe I am meant to be at Yang's now, _he thought, _what are the odds that the one motel I could afford be so close to it. I can feel_ wanted _again._

Then again, Kai never made good decisions when he was drunk.

He woke up wishing he hadn't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Do not do this. This is the dumbest thing you could ever do. It just makes for a decent story. Trigger warning for drug abuse and depressing thoughts.

* * *

Kai found his way onto the fighting roster every Friday and Saturday night, the prime time. There were only fights on the weekends since there wasn't a big enough crowd during the week. People placed bets for and against him, but he won every fight. Mezmo was in charge of the slither pit fights and he gave Kai enough money to be able to afford the motel and to fill his stomach. It was all he needed.

Kai was the undefeated champion, he wiped the floor with skulkin, serpentine, and humans alike. Eventually, he got bored of winning every fight so quickly. He wanted to give his fans some entertainment; he even added a mask.

He started to use just his fists in a regular brawling fashion. This was nothing like how he sparred with his brothers back in the monastery or on the Bounty. There, they never tried to hurt each other and each fight had the goal of self-improvement. Here, there are no rules. His opponents would try to trip him with their tail, try to gouge his eyes out, and pulled out every illegal move in the book. He knew that he had to knock his opponent down first, of course, it was engrained in him to never kill them. However, his morals never stopped him doing everything in his power to win.

Regardless, Kai loved it. He loved the pain that he felt he deserved, every black eye, bruise, and bleeding cut were proof that he was alive and that it could change at any moment. He loved the adrenaline knowing every fight could be his last. After all, he should have died long ago. He swung and dodged. He got kicked at and he kicked right back. He wanted to see how far he could push it before he used his get-out-of-jail-free card, his spinjitzu. Sometimes, he pushed it a little too far and his spinjitzu was a little wobbly. He knew that it was never a good sign, but it only added to the rush.

After a couple of weekends, he was approached before a match by a young man with baggy jeans and an old black sweatshirt. Kai was trying to down a bottle to hold himself off until he could get into the pit. Looking at him, Kai could tell he was neither serpentine nor skulkin; however, it looked like he dipped each of his hands in white paint and ran it horizontally across his face. Nose to ears. He walked with confidence and cautiousness warring between every step. He stepped right up into Kai's personal space, leaning an elbow onto the bar.

"What do you want?" Kai bit out. He had no tolerance for small talk. He was itching to be punched and to damage his own knuckles in retaliation. His bruises from the previous Saturday were already mostly faded. He took another swig to stop himself from swinging right then and there. He couldn't fight in the pit tonight if he disrupted Mezmo's schedule with a scene.

"I've got something that would interest you," the man replied. He seemed to not care about Kai's tone. In fact, he seemed quite smug.

"Unless you wanna smear your makeup, I suggest you go waste somebody else's time," Kai dismissed the man. Turning away from him and giving his empty empty bottle a small shake up in the air, Kai got another one from the bar-tender.

"Here's a little something to ramp up this next fight," he held out a little clear baggy with two small pills in it. "To improve your overall experience, guaranteed. You'll know what I'm talking about instantly."

"What do you want for them?" Kai asked suspiciously. He was interested. If there was a way to make the fights even better, sign him up.

"First taste is free," the man smiled. "If you don't like them, no harm, no foul."

_Nothing left to lose. Might as well see if the man can deliver on his promise, _Kai thought.

He took the baggy with little hesitation and washed down both pills with a swig of beer.

"Although, if you do like them, I can usually be found over on 12th. You can call me Narco," the man said. He then disappeared back into the crowd, perhaps looking for another new customer.

_Well, I don't feel any different._ Kai continued his agonizing wait at the bar. After ten minutes or so his thoughts drifted back to the encounter. _He was probably some weirdo who gets his rocks off handing out placebos to unsuspecting people. What a waste of_–

Kai's brain sent off fireworks.

He felt euphoria rush through his entire being in addition to feeling more awake and alert. He felt like he could do everything and anything. He hasn't felt this good since before Zane died. His heart was fluttering, trying to break through his rib cage with the shear force of each pound.

"The Red Shogun vs the Maroon Mask! Up next in fifteen minutes! Place your bets and be prepared ladies and deadly-es because this one's the final fight of the night!"

Some part of Kai was upset he was only scheduled for one fight tonight. The rest of him was lost with the euphoria. Why hadn't he known about this stuff before? This is exactly what he needed. He felt a a sense of well-being settle in his heart. Everything was going to be okay. It wasn't his fault that the bad thing happened. He couldn't even remember why he was so upset before. It all feels like a distant memory.

"Shogun! Kai! Get over here you're up in one minute!"

What? He just made that announcement three minutes ago. Or was it yesterday? He lost his train of thought but he headed over to the pit. At least he knows he gets to fight, now.

_Pop!_

He was given a right hook. Spit flew out of his mouth as his head snapped quickly with the sudden force applied. He didn't remember actually entering the pit but at some point, the fight started. Wasn't there supposed to be a go signal?

Shaking his hands out and bouncing on his feet, Kai was ready. Here's where the fun begins. He barely felt the punch. He felt like he was looking down at himself from above, watching all the punches, ducks, and rolls in high definition.

Yet, at the same time, he felt more connected to everything. The lights were bleeding out into everything with an uproarious hum from the lightbulbs hidden within the red paper walls. The noise of the crowd sounded like the greatest symphony. Kai swore he could hear every word of the audience speaking in tandem to the rush in his ears. The smell of sweat and beer permeated every exhale. Kai thinks he can taste the wood of the building with every inhale. Every nerve ending was crackling and he felt more alive than ever before.

He was hyper-aware of every move his opponent made yet was left completely out of breath.

He loved it.

The adrenaline and the dopamine created a sweet concoction in his brain that made him feel more alive than ever. His nerves were singing to him with every new bruise forming on his skin.

At some point, the fight ended. Kai thinks he won since he's still standing. Mezmo hands him an envelope and he tucks it into an inside pocket of his red jacket.

He realized he's not standing anymore._ This chair is uncomfortable and doesn't reach the bar. Huh, this is the floor_. Kai's thoughts are sporadic as they try to keep up with his still rapid heartbeat. _I should go for a run. Do I like running? I feel like running. __I should be standing._

Now he is. Were there always so many people here? He sees each movement that everyone makes. There is music that Kai realizes isn't coming from his thoughts. Colorful flashing lights turn the slither pit into a dance floor. Kai doesn't remember them switching out. _Didn't the fight just end?_ He is in middle of a sea of moving bodies and he joins it. The current drags him in and he feels himself get pulled along to the sway of the never ending, heavy beat song. Kai's high keeps him dancing with the crowd until the lights come on and patrons move towards the exit.

It's quiet now. He should sleep.

Maybe he will finally get some good dreams.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **Canonically, it is Yang Tavern but I like the way Yang's Tavern sounds. Also, I created the tavern to the best of my ability but I like to believe that at midnight, the fights end and half the tavern is plunged into darkness with club lighting and music till about three am. I like the headcanon that Kai likes to go to clubs and party and giving Yang's Tavern a club setting in addition to the canon fighting ring helps me with that.


	3. Chapter 3

Lloyd had been on his own since the team split up. He tried to check up on them at least once a week. It was his job to look after them even if they made it hard for him to do so.

He became the main face of the ninja and the only one to show up to stop crime throughout the city. Everyone else just stopped responding to the calls so now it was his responsibility. It was always his responsibility to take care of the team. He was the chosen one.

It didn't feel like it anymore.

"Lloyd," Nya got his attention from the doorway. She had gotten a job as a mechanic so she wasn't around as much either. Her hair was pushed back with goggles perched on top serving as a makeshift headband. She was about to head out for her afternoon shift. Nya was saddened by the rift between the brothers, but she never really felt like part of the team to begin with. Lloyd knows she always felt that the team was too much of a boy's club. She was one of the first of them to go out and get a job. She couldn't let Zane's death stop her from living even if it stopped her makeshift family.

Now, it was Lloyd's job to watch over the people of Ninjago.

Alone.

They had moved into his dad's monastery since they no longer had the Bounty. Nya and Wu were thinking about getting started on blueprints for a new one.

Lloyd had just gotten back from a routine breaking and entering. There was nothing big to fight anymore. Peace once again reigned in Ninjago, so Lloyd was constantly trying to busy himself by catching petty criminals. He was currently in the kitchen trying to enjoy his sandwich without thinking about his brothers too much. The ache was always there. He tried to ignore it.

"Kai hasn't called me in a while and I was wondering if you've heard from him," she continued. Nya walked fully into the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets for a bag of chips. It was relatively easy to find since she didn't need to hide them anymore. No one was left to hide them from.

"No, I haven't been able to find him. The manager at that hotel said he stopped making payments," Lloyd told her. "He probably got tired of me getting into his business and found somewhere else to hole up."

Nya didn't look too happy about that answer but there was nothing she could do. She felt bad for the wedge she created between Jay and Cole. To make matters worse, her brother doesn't talk to her anymore. There was a time in their life where it was just them against the world. Now, her brother couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone.

"Maybe you should check up on him. You've already seen the other three a few times this month without a word from Kai," Nya told him.

Lloyd put his sandwich down on his plate. Sighing, he said "You know as well as I do that there's no great evil anymore. The final battle was exactly that. Final. Ninjago is safe and there's no need for ninja anymore." _There's no need for me anymore_ went unspoken.

He huffed and took another bite. "He's probably just hiding from the fact that he's not famous anymore," he said with his mouth full, his pain coming out as a biting remark towards the brother he looked up to the most.

Once Kai had figured out that his purpose was to protect Lloyd, he promised to take care of him. The guys all became his mentors but Kai most of all. He has always been stubborn, reckless, and fierce. Their family had helped balance his extreme traits which allowed Kai to be levelheaded when Lloyd needed training. Lloyd was worried about what Kai would get into without his emotions in check. Most of all it hurt him to know that Kai was pushing away everyone in his grief.

"Lloyd! You know as well as I do that the boys are lost. They found their purpose and it came to an end. Now go check up on our brother," Nya scolded him. She then did an about face with her bag of chips and stormed out of the room.

Lloyd knew that she was right. They lost their reason to fight. He finished his lunch and sat there, staring at the crumbs. _I should make sure he's okay_, he told himself.

Tossing the paper plate into the trash, he left the monastery.

_Are any of us okay?_

* * *

The cold winds run through the city. They whipped into Lloyd's green sweatshirt as he dug his hands deeper in his pockets. "Sure could use a fire ninja right about now," he grumbled.

His first stop was the motel where Kai used to stay. Looking at it, Lloyd couldn't understand how anyone could want to pay to stay in a dump like that.

The brick buildings were chipped and faded. Old cars were scattered through the parking lot. At first glance, they looked abandoned except Lloyd knew, from coming here before, that almost every vehicle in this lot still ran. Sure, not as fast or as smooth as they used to, but they did. Dingy, white blinds were closed in every window. They were the only things he could see that weren't that broken. He suspects it's because everyone there took care to have privacy.

The office had glass doors with a yellowed sign that happily proclaimed that yes, there are vacancies. Lloyd didn't think the joint ever filled up. For one, look around. Two, the sign was handwritten and glued to the door.

Stepping inside, he was grateful for the warmth of the space heater sitting on the counter. The room was small with the main desk taking up most of the room. A television was mounted on the wall angled towards the worker. The next thing he was aware of was the smell. There was a faint lingering smell of sewage that mixed with the lavender air freshener. It wasn't a smell Lloyd wanted to deal with. But he had to find Kai and this was his only lead.

The man behind the counter had greasy hair and a greasy smile. "Hello, what can I do for you?" He said in a rehearsed tone.

"Um, I'm looking for a friend."

"Sorry, no can do. Each of my guests is guaranteed complete privacy," the man interrupted. He turned his attention back on the TV.

"Actually, he was a former guest. I asked about him a couple weeks ago? The one that stopped making payments? He didn't list his real name but he was a little older than me. Spiky hair," Lloyd told him.

"Ah, well, in that case, twenty bucks and I'll tell you everything you need to know," the man showed his greasy smile again.

_Well, that was easy_ Lloyd thought.

He gave the man a twenty out of his wallet.

"I don't know where he's at now but I do know that he was an employee over at Yang's," he informed.

"Yang's?" Lloyd questioned.

"Yea, Yang's Tavern. It's a bar over on 11th. Look for the building with the windows boarded up vertically. Every other building on that street's got the windows broken in, boarded sideways. Not this place. Doors on the other side of the dumpster down the ally," the man said.

Lloyd thanked him and left. It was getting dark now but he wanted to catch Kai before he left. If he's been working at a bar, the best time to do so would be at night.

He headed up a couple of blocks and cut off onto 11th street. The whole north side of the city was more broken down and dangerous than the rest. With so many people living in one place, some places were more run down than the others. However, parents tend to tell their children to stay out of this area especially.

He made it to 11th street and quickly inspected the buildings. Most of the buildings in the section of town were abandoned. There were old apartments and businesses where the owners just left and the city can't really do anything with them. They were just abandoned without the technological advances reaching out this far.

Lloyd didn't feel comfortable out here at all. The sun had already set and the chill bit harder. _Maybe I should turn back. I can always try again tomorrow,_ he thought. Then he sighed. It was engraved in him to never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

_There._

A wooden building that looked like it used to be a restaurant at one point. The old, worn boards are posted straight up and down across the old windows. Lloyd crosses the street and peers in between the cracks. A few feet in front of him is another wooden wall. This one looks sturdier than the outer one. Trying to look left and right doesn't reveal much. It was as though someone built a hallway in the wrong direction.

_This is it._

Lloyd stepped back and saw an ally running along the right side of the building. It wasn't very wide, just big enough for two people to walk side by side without touching. Not that Lloyd needs the space. He was alone.

He walks into the ally and spots a dumpster further than halfway down the ally. It's darker now so he can only make out the walls around him from the weak moonlight partly illuminating the upper half of the ally.

Passing the dumpster on the left, he sees a door hiding next to it.

He tries the knob.

Click.

He opens it and steps into the darkness. Lloyd stepped into a closet-sized room with another door at the end. This door has light, mingling with shouts and conversations, spilling out from underneath.

Click.

The door in front of him opens and two serpentines come stumbling out. Lloyd used his reflexes and jumped against the wall, out of the way.

A hypnobrai serpent was leaning on his constrictai friend. The sturdy burrowing snake laughed out, "C'mon man! Help me out over here, you could at least pretend to use those legs of yours. I told you that you were too wasted to challe-" His voice was cut off as the outside door closed.

_Kai, is working here?_ Lloyd thought with concern. Anywhere where the serpentine hang out is bad news.

He steadied his nerves after the surprise encounter and opened up the door to Yang's Tavern.


End file.
